Edible Pet Chew

ABSTRACT

An edible pet chew  114  has a first casing  10  of plant base material and a second protein  12  of flavored material for example jerky that is wrapped with the first sheet to form alternating layers in the edible pet chew.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a continuation of pending U.S. Utilityapplication Ser. No. 12/703,942 filed Feb. 11, 2010 which is adivisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/602,939filed Nov. 21, 2006 which is now U.S. Pat. No. 7,677,203 B2 issued onMar. 16, 2010 and Applicant hereby claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C.§120.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The field of this invention relates to an edible pet chew.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

A single visit to a pet supermarket makes it readily apparent that thereis a wide selection of rawhide and other synthetic chew toysmanufactured and shaped for dogs and other carnivorous pets to chew on.Pet owners believe chew toys are desirable for cleaning the teeth ofdogs and other pets, providing for dental hygiene and resulting inbetter breath. The chew toys also distract the pet from chewing on otherobjects such as shoes or furniture.

Many of these chew toys have been made from synthetic materials such asplastic, for example, nylon or even rubber to provide a long lastingchew toy. These synthetic chew toys are indigestible and may pose ahealth risk if the dog bites off a portion and swallows it. Secondly,these toys may lose a dog's interest because the toy typically has noflavor or other chew incentive.

Other chew toys are made from rawhide. Rawhide also has no inherentflavor and thus may lose a dogs interest after only a short chew time.To overcome the lack of flavor and taste of rawhide, many manufacturershave attempted to add flavor to the pet chew by adding jerky, naturalflavors or even pig hide in addition to the rawhide. Flavors may also beinjected into the rawhide, marinated into the rawhide, wrapped in therawhide or impregnated into the rawhide. The rawhide acts as the chewingcomponent and lasts longer than other edible foods, for example meatjerky.

Many people are concerned that the manufacture of rawhide is arelatively unregulated industry and the origins of the rawhide may beunknown and the degree of contamination of the rawhide with antibiotics,insecticides or other detrimental elements for example, lead, may alsobe unknown. Furthermore, rawhide provides no nutritional benefits and isonly slowly digestible if at all. These concerns whether they all betrue or unfounded provides a perception for dog and other pet owners toseek alternative ways to provide a chew treat for a pet without the useof rawhide.

One such pet chew recently placed on the market is a product made from asolid molded wheat based material with glycerin, gelatin, monoglyceridesof edible fatty acid, and natural flavor. It also contains chlorophyllwhich is marketed to improve the dog's breath. This molded plantmaterial composite is molded into an elongated shape with one end shapedlike a toothbrush head and an opposite end shaped like an epiphysis i.e.end of a long bone.

It is also known to make a jerky-like material both in texture and tastefrom soy protein isolate and wheat starch formed into elongated strips.It is also known to provide an extruded composite for dry diets formedfrom emulsified meat and grain meal byproducts.

What is needed is an improved edible pet chew that has an outer layer ofhardened and chewable plant based material in conjunction with an innerlayer of material that contains at least in part flavored content oractual dried or cured animal flesh content preferably beingsubstantially free of rawhide when the outer layer hardened materialacts as a chewing component comparable to rawhide in duration.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, an edible pet chewhas a layer of hardened chewy plant base material and a layer sheet of achewy edible material. The first and second sheets are superimposedadjacent each other into a composite assembly with the first sheet andsecond sheet forming alternating layers in the composite assembly.

Preferably, the first sheet of plant base material includes a plantbased composition being wrapped about the second sheet. The first andsecond sheets wrapped into a roll form to form an interleaved spiralshape in cross-section with the first sheet substantially forming ahardened layer of the edible pet chew. The first sheet may be made froman initially malleable and hardenable mixture of wheat protein andgelatin. A plant protein composition is desirably extrudable to foil,the first sheet. Only a small percentage of gelatin is needed, forexample under 5% of the composition by weight, to provide enoughmalleability for extrusion, molding and other bending and forming.

In one embodiment, the edible pet chew has a tied knot at each endthereof to resemble epiphyses of a bone. The second sheet may be madefrom a plant based material having flavor infused therein. Alternately,the second sheet may be formed from a meat composite bound with abinder. In one embodiment, the second sheet may be formed from a jerkyof dried or cured animal flesh. Preferably, both sheets aresubstantially free of rawhide.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the edible pet chewincludes a casing of hardened chewable plant based material and a chewyedible member therein. Preferably, the outer casing is in the form of afirst sheet that provides an outer layer of the edible pet chew. Thechewy edible member therein is substantially inside the edible pet chewand may be a cured or dried animal flesh.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method of formingan edible pet chew includes providing a plant based mixture that isextrudable or sheetable and initially malleable forming the initiallymalleable plant based mixture into a first sheet, providing a secondsheet made from material having flavor, placing the first and secondsheets in superimposed relation forming multiple layers and hardeningthe first sheet after it is formed with the second sheet. Preferably thefirst and second sheets are rolled together and preferably rolled withthe first sheet forming an outer layer.

Preferably, the ends of the edible pet chew are tied into knots beforehardening of the first sheet. Preferably, the first sheet is made from aplant protein composition, and the second sheet is made from a meatbased material. The first sheet is made from a plant base and glycerincomposition, and the second sheet is made from a meat jerky. The methodalso includes wrapping the first sheet about the second sheet to form anouter layer of the edible pet chew.

In another embodiment of the invention, an outer portion of plant basedmaterial is injection molded to form one or more cavities in which thejerky can be inserted. Injection molding is the preferred method toproduce a three dimensional shape. An alternative to injection moldingthe outer portion can be extrusion, co-extrusion, cold molding orcompression molding. After the outer case is formed, the jerky can beinserted either wholly or partially into the formed cavities.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference now is made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first sheet of a wheat basedmaterial with a second jerky sheet laid over the first sheet inpreparation of forming an edible pet chew in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the edible pet chew;

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment having two knotted ends to simulate theepiphyses of a bone with a diaphysis in the middle;

FIG. 4 shows a top plan view showing a plurality of meat flavored stripsplaced on top of the first sheet in preparation of forming anotheralternate embodiment of a pet chew;

FIG. 5 shows an alternate embodiment of an edible pet treat formed fromthe sheets shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows an alternate embodiment of an edible pet treat formed alsofrom the sheets shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 shows a side view of another embodiment of an edible pet chew;

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a pet chew with an outer moldedcasing with transverse holes for filling with an edible chewablematerial therein;

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a pet chew with a molded outer casingwith a longitudinal hole for filling with an edible chewable materialtherein; and

FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a pet chew with a molded outercasing with an alternate configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIG. 1, a first sheet 10 of an extruded or rolled plantbased composition, for example a wheat protein mixed with a gelatin orother binder for example glycerin is laid flat. The term “plant based”means material having substantially over 50% of plant material. Thegelatin may be a small percentage by weight, for example 5%, to providesufficient malleability, moldability, extrudability, and formability asset forth in further detail below. Other plant materials may besubstituted for the above mentioned materials as long as the material isa cohesive material that can be rolled and formed in a malleable stateand eventually hardened by heat or drying into a hard but chewablematter for use by a carnivorous pet. The sheet 10 may be formed byextrusion, pressing or rolling or injection molding for example.

A second sheet 12 may be made from flavored material, for example,natural meat jerky. The sheet 12 is superimposed over the first sheet10. The second sheet 12 may alternately be made from a jerky compositionthat is a mixture of meat and other binders to form a chewable compositethat is malleable enough to be rollable. In this version, the firstsheet 10 made from plant based material is harder and has greaterchewing duration than the second sheet 12 made from natural meat jerky.In another variation, the second sheet 12 may also be made from aninitially malleable plant based sheet that is impregnated with meat,chicken, fish or jerky pieces or merely infused with flavors attractiveto a pet. In those preferred embodiments, each sheet 10 and 12 issubstantially free of rawhide.

The side edges 18 of the second sheet may be coextensive, i.e. alignedwith the side edges 16 of the first sheet 10. The front edge 22 of thesecond sheet may overlap the front edge 20 of sheet 10.

Once the first and second sheets 10 and 12 as shown in FIG. 1, areflattened out, they are then rolled up as shown in FIG. 2 to form acylinder shaped edible pet chew 14 having rolled ends 24 withinterleafed layers of sheet 10 and sheet 12 with aligned edges 16 and18. The sheets 10 and 12 form an interleaved spiral shape incross-section. The sheets 10 and 12 are rolled such that the sheet 10forms the outer layer 26. The front edge 22 of sheet 12 by extendingfurther than the front edge of edge 20 of sheet 10 forms a lip 28. Thelips 28 project out of the seam 30 in the outer layer 26 adjacent theedge 20 of sheet 10. The cylinder shaped pet chew 14 is then allowed todry to harden the composition forming the first sheet 10.

As shown in FIG. 3, an alternate shaped pet chew 114 can be formed tomore closely simulate an elongated bone with an elongated middle section115 also referred to as a diaphysis and opposite simulated epiphyses 117formed by knots 132 tied at each end 24 of the cylinder shaped assembly14 as shown in FIG. 2 before it's hardened. The alternately shapededible pet chew 114 still has the same aligned edges 16, and 18 and thesame lip 28 of the second sheet protruding out of seam 30 at theepiphyses 117 as well as therebetween is elongated middle section 115.

Another alternate embodiment composite sheet assembly 190 is shown inFIG. 4 where instead of single sheet of jerky material is disposed onsheet 10, a plurality of elongated strips of jerky i.e. narrow sheets112 are spaced apart onto sheet 10. The narrow sheets 112 each have afront edge 122 extending beyond edge 20 of sheet 10. The sheet assembly190 is laid flat and then rolled in the same fashion as before to formthe cylinder assembly 214 shown in FIG. 5 that has at seam 30 aplurality of exposed lips 128 of the sheets 112. Again, this cylindershape treat 214 may be dried and hardened as is or can be knotted in thesame fashion as before to form the bone shaped pet treat 314 as shown inFIG. 6 with the exposed lips 128 formed in the knot ends 132 as well asthe elongated middle section 115.

In a further embodiment, the elongated strips 112 may be laid transverseto what is shown in FIG. 4 so that when the sheets 110 and 112 arerolled, they produce an edible pet chew with an end 432 as shown in FIG.7 with a solid lip 28 and a plurality of spaced sheets 112 within theouter layer 26 of sheet 10. Again, the cylinder may be allowed to dryand harden in this position or tied into a knot to form an edible petchew that looks on the exterior substantially like the one shown in FIG.3.

It is foreseen that more than one first sheet 10 of the plant basedmaterial and more than one sheet 12 of the flavor material may be used.It is also foreseen that the plurality of sheets 10, 12 may beinterlayered without rolling to form a flat rectangular or other shapededible pet chew. The composite pet chew may also be folded into anothershaped pet chew.

Referring now to FIG. 8, a pet chew 414 has a three dimensional moldedouter casing 410 of plant based material has an elongated bone-likeshape and having cavities 415 traversing the longitudinal axis of theouter casing 410. Jerky material or other dried or cured animal flesh412 is inserted into the cavities 415. The outer casing 410 may beinjected molded with the cavities 415 formed therein. Preferably, theexposed ends 417 of the jerky 412 is flush or slightly recessed incavities 415 and the jerky is tightly packed in hole 415 to deter thejerky from being easily pulled out of the hole 415 such that the dogwill chew through the outer shell 410 to access the jerky 412.

Another molded form is shown in FIG. 9 where the pet chew 514 has themolded outer shell 510 of plant based material with a longitudinalextending cavity 515 filler with jerky material 512. The molded cavity510 may have a clover leaf cross-sectional configuration as shown.

In a modified embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the outer casing 610 of plantbased material may have a three ball configuration surroundinglongitudinal cavity 615 filled with jerky 612.

In this fashion, by providing an edible pet chew with a hardened andchewable outer wrap or casing made from a plant based material insteadof rawhide, one avoids all the concerns whether real or perceivedregarding the use of rawhide while still providing a chewing layercomparable in duration with rawhide and greater in duration than mereedible treats. In other words, the edible chew has its outer wrap orcasing made from plant based material providing chewing duration greaterthan the chewing duration of the meat jerky or other flavored meat ormixed treats within. It is to be understood that the preferredembodiments do not contain additional layers of rawhide such that asubstantially rawhide free chew is formed. Secondly, the plant basedmaterial has inherent nutrition and may be easily provided with addednutritional ingredients such as vitamins and minerals if desired.

Furthermore, the second sheet or inserts, whether it will be a naturaljerky, jerky composite or plant based layer with flavor, provides ataste incentive for the pet to continue to chew and not lose interest inthe pet chew after only a short period of time.

Other variations and modifications are possible without departing fromthe scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the appendedclaims.

1. A method of forming an edible pet chew, said method comprising:providing a plant based mixture that is substantially rawhide free thatis extrudable and initially malleable; forming said initially malleableplant based mixture into a first sheet; providing a second sheet madefrom flavor material that is substantially rawhide free; placing saidfirst and second sheets in superimposed relation and rolling said firstand second sheets up to have said first sheet and second sheet formingalternating layers with no intervening rawhide layers; and hardeningsaid first sheet after it is wrapped with said second sheet such thatsaid first sheet provides a hardened chewable wrap for extended chewtime relative to normal edible pet treats and as durable as rawhide inchewing duration.
 2. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising:tying the ends of said edible pet chew into knots before hardening saidfirst sheet.
 3. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein: said first sheetcomprising a plant protein composition; and said second sheet being ameat based material.
 4. A method as defined in claim 3 wherein: saidfirst sheet comprising from a plant protein and gelatin composition; andsaid second sheet comprising a meat jerky.
 5. A method as defined inclaim 4 wherein: wrapping said first sheet about said second sheet toform an outer layer of said edible pet chew.
 6. A method as defined inclaim 1 wherein: said first sheet is wrapped about said second sheet toform an outer layer of said edible pet chew.
 7. A method as defined inclaim 6 wherein: said first sheet having greater chew durability thansaid second sheet.
 8. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein: said firstsheet having greater chew durability than said second sheet.
 9. A methodof forming an edible pet chew, said method comprising: providing a plantbased mixture that is extrudable and initially malleable; forming saidinitially malleable plant based mixture into a first sheet; providing asecond sheet made from flavor material that is substantially rawhidefree; placing said first and second sheets in superimposed relation androlling said first and second sheets up to have said first sheet andsecond sheet forming alternating layers with no intervening rawhidelayers; and hardening said first sheet after it is wrapped with saidsecond sheet such that said first sheet provides a hardened chewablewrap for extended chew time relative to normal edible pet treats andrelative to said second sheet and as durable as rawhide in chewingduration.
 10. A method as defined in claim 9 further comprising: tyingthe ends of said edible pet chew into knots before hardening said firstsheet.
 11. A method as defined in claim 10 wherein: said first sheetcomprising a plant protein composition; and said second sheet being ameat based material.
 12. A method as defined in claim 11 wherein: saidfirst sheet comprising from a plant protein and gelatin composition; andsaid second sheet comprising a meat jerky.
 13. A method as defined inclaim 12 wherein: wrapping said first sheet about said second sheet toform an outer layer of said edible pet chew.
 14. A method as defined inclaim 1 wherein: said first sheet is wrapped about said second sheet toform an outer layer of said edible pet chew.
 15. A method as defined inclaim 14 wherein: said first sheet having greater chew durability thansaid second sheet.
 16. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein: saidfirst sheet having greater chew durability than said second sheet.
 17. Amethod of forming an edible pet chew, said method comprising: molding aplant hard mixture that is initially malleable into a three dimensionalshape with a cavity therein; and filling said cavity with a flavoreddried material.
 18. A method as defined in claim 17 further comprising:said filling said cavity is with a dried or cured animal flesh.